Stop the addition of fluoride to Tasmania's water supply.

Tasmania was the first state in Australia to add fluoride to our public water supply in 1953. We have been drinking, bathing, watering, cooking, washing with fluoride for 60 years. Let us celebrate this 60th anniversary by removing the fluoride. Let our state be natural, clean and pure, just like we advertise it.

Every Tasmanian deserves the right to have control in what is being added to their water.

It is understandable that there are people who believe that fluoride is an important player in the maintenance of healthy, strong teeth. Fluoride is not only available in our water supply, but also added to most toothpastes available in Australia. It is cheap and accessible, everyone who wants to use fluoride will still have access to use it. We believe that if an individual wants more fluoride than what a toothpaste can provide, it would make sense for that individual to seek advice from a dentist who then could prescribe fluoride if deemed necessary.

The process of removing fluoride from water is expensive, especially for the average Tasmanian, who more than likely is already under financial strain. Affordable water filtration devices on the market can remove chlorine and heavy metals but not fluoride. The removal of fluoride from our water would not only be more cost effective for Tasmanian families wishing to be fluoride free, but also the government. They would no longer have to buy the fluoride to pump through our pipes, leaving the money to be spent on more important areas.

The belief that the addition of fluoride has improved Tasmanian's teeth has been questioned. In 2009 an article was published in the Examiner stating that "Tasmanians have some of the worst teeth in Australia - with a tooth being pulled once every three minutes." (Blewett, 2009). In the same article it was revealed that 38,100 Tasmanian teenagers received Medicare vouchers in 2009 encouraging them to seek dental assessment. We are lead to believe that all dentists support the addition of fluoride, but that is not the case. In the recent Australian documentary titled "Fire Water" the former president of the Australian Dental Association, Dr Andrew Harms informs that he facilitated the introduction of water fluoridation throughout areas of South Australia without looking into the science. He publicly admits that he deeply regrets his actions and feels that it was a mistake to support and facilitate water fluoridation (Drolma, 2011).

Not only does research suggest that ingesting fluoride does not help in the fight against bad teeth, it also has become a huge health concern around the world. Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health have shown that there are indications that water fluoridation can lower childrens IQ. Sodium fluoride has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer and precocious puberty.

Fluoride has no place in our drinking water, let us make 2013 the year that Tasmania finally smartens up. We are the pure state, we need to start behaving like one.